Prelude [Take 1]

The curious thing about the little stone cabin at the edge of the woods wasn't how it managed to withstand some of the most turbulent storms, nor how it maintained an air of cleaniness amidst the enveloping mess of a forest, but rather how the short, curt rubble of a wall managed to seem to hold all that wilderness back. Some, in the village, declared that the house itself was blessed by a wandering friar many sunsets ago, and some maintained that the witch that resided inside the cabin was herself responsible for the many peculiarities that emanated from the cabin.

[author's notes] As beginnings go, this sucks. I want to establish tone, character, something, anything, within the first paragraph. Mission: NOT accomplished. Okay, so what do I need to do to improve on this? First off, voice. The voice is telling, and not showing, and I really need to find the right voice for this. What have I established so far? Nothing. Except some foretelling. *sighs* Okay, [imagines ripping a paper out of the typewriter and crumpling it up to toss (miss?) into the trashcan] Okay, one thing missing about writing on a computer... the immense satisfaction of doing the above. Imagination will just have to work.

She could feel the tracks of sweat weaving down her chest to form a rivulet between her breasts but since pain sliced through her uterus during her scream, she didn't pause to wipe the sweat away. Don't push now! screamed her brain, but her body fought off the thought successfully. Another accelerating stitch reverberated through her womb stopped the push though. Damnit, Klystra, you call yourself a mid-wife? When the head says don't push now, DON'T PUSH NOW!

[Author's notes] Okay, much better.... want to know what I love about writing? The constant surprises. I didn't mean for the first paragraph to tie in so quickly to the the title already, but here my subconscious is already working all the angles. And surprise, I have a name for the old bat. Klystra. Okay, Klystra, glad you could finally make it onto the page. Can't wait to see what you're about and I know... no matter how hard I try and plan you out, you're going to take on a life of your own aren't you? But don't forget, Klystra. You're to be the backstory... you're the prelude. It'll be your daughter who's going to take center stage. I'll leave you in the throes of birthing her now... But I'll be back to add more.